You can either buy better wine, or figure out how to get more
from the bottles you already plan to buy.

Jörn Kleinhans, owner of Wine Elite Sommelier Co., explains that
getting more from the wine currently in your rack, cellar, or
shopping cart relies heavily on the tools you use before you even
take a sip.

"Even sommeliers sometimes want to get the most mileage out of a
dollar," Kleinhans explains. "These are their secrets."

It's worth noting, however, that while these strategies are meant
to maximize the quality of the wine you enjoy, some of them will
require a little more money upfront.

1. Buy better glassware.

Kleinhans says the variety of wine glasses on the market isn't
born of fussiness. "If you enjoy quality wine, you upgrade your
quality of glasses," he declares. "You buy thin crystal glasses
priced at about $30 apiece. Riedel
glasses are the world standard."

He recounts an experiment held recently among his company's
sommeliers where they served a single wine in seven different
glasses at different price ranges, and conducted a blind taste
test during which the sommeliers weren't even allowed to lift
their own glasses. "They were able to create a clear hierarchy,"
he recalls. "High quality glassware is the best way to increase
the perception of good wine — it can make a $30 bottle feel like
a $60 bottle."

2. Embrace the half bottle.

While this might not be an option when bringing a gift to your
friend's dinner party, if you're drinking at home, the half
bottle is your friend. "It's unfortunately true that a bottle
doesn't carry overnight," Kleinhans says. "If you leave it open,
even if you try to vacuum out the air, it won't be good the next
day."

"You don't see them often in the store, but high-end wine
merchants have a special shelf with half bottles," he continues.
"It's a smaller selection, but it's usually sufficient."

There is one way to keep an open bottle of wine from spoiling,
and it's a tool that costs about $300. "For many years, wine
collectors have been frustrated when they have a bottle and drink
by themselves," Kleinhans explains. "They wanted to find a way to
close again and preserve it."

That way is a gadget called Coravin, which inserts a needle
through the cork without taking it out of the bottle and
pressurizes the bottle using argon — a tasteless gas — as you
pour. The cork reseals itself once you withdraw the needle (but
works best with natural, rather than synthetic corks). "You can
put back in your cellar for years to come," says Kleinhans.
"That's one way to enjoy a bottle without opening and losing a
full bottle if you only wanted a glass."